Textile guide roll



Aug. 20, 1968 H. HANAU TEXTILE GUIDE ROLL Filed Nov. 15, 1966 INVENTOR /1/A/Z H/l/VAU BY y 24%, MM 9 ,4 TTOE/VEYS United States Patent Olfice 3,397,439 Patented Aug. 20, 1968 3,397,439 TEXTILE GUIDE ROLL Heinz Hanan, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Industrial Tectonics, Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Nov. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 594,532 3 Claims. (Cl. 29116) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A textile guide roll having a tubular member which is spaced radially outwardly from a shaft and an air bearing. The tubular member is rotatable with respect to the shaft. The guide roll has a magnetic thrust bearing at at least one end thereof.

This invention relates to improvements in rotary devices such as are employed as guide rolls for filaments or thread composed of nylon, cotton or other textile material. This invention is an improvement over Patent No. 3,221,389, issued Dec. 7, 1965, assigned to same assignee of the present application.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a structure which can be more easily manufactured and assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a guide roll which presents no risk of contamination to any thread engaged therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved guide roll which minimizes the likelihood of imparting a static electrical charge to any thread with which it is used.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved guide roll which is easily installed for operative use and which requires little or no maintenance.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved guide roll which undergoes little or no wear during use and which operates in a substantially frictionless manner.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved guide roll which is of a simpler and more economical design.

Other objects and purposes of this invention will be apparent to persons acquainted with apparatus of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the invention. v l

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken about the line III--III of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG- URE 3 except that the bearing is provided with longitudinal grooves.

Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting. The words rightwardly and leftwardly will designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words inwardly and outwardly will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, thegeometriccenter of the device and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words above specifically Ymentioned, derivatives thereof .and Words of similar import.

General description In general, the objects and purposes of the invention are met by providing a textile spindle adapted to guide a filament or thread, said textile spindle having a rod which is provided with air bearing means journ-alled thereto. A tubular member having an inner and outer surface is spaced radially outwardly from said shaft and said air bearing means and is rotatable with respect to said shaft, said tubular member having an open end and a closed end. A flange secured to said shaft projects radially outwardly from said shaft a distance spaced slightly radially inwardly from said inner surface of said tubular member at said open end thereof. The guide roll is provided with magnetic thrust bearing means at at least one end thereof within said tubular member.

Detailed description The guide roll 10 (FIGURE 1) embodying the invention comprises a fixed shaft or rod 11 which may be mounted as, for example, by frictional engagement with the surface of an aperture 12 provided in a vertical member 13 such as a wall or other suitable supporting member.

The rod 11 is provided with suitable air bearing means which in this embodiment comprises a cylindrical shell bearing 16 which is preferably composed of graphite and which is suitably secured to the rod 11. The annular hearing 16 is divided into two cylindrical sections 17 and 18 by an annular groove 19 around the periphery thereof.

A plurality of longitudinal grooves 21 (FIGURE 4) may be provided if desired upon the circumferential periphery of the bearing 16 to assist the air bearing action in a manner already known.

The bearing 16 is housed within a hollow rotatable tubular member 22 having an inner surface 23 and an outer surface 24. The bearing 16 is spaced radially inwardly from the inner surface 23 so that, as hereinafter explained, the circumferential periphery of the bearing 16 will be in spaced relation with respect to the internal surface of the tubular member 22 when the latter is rotated at high speed.

A cap 26 is frictionally engaged with the internal surface of the left end of the tubular member 22, said cap being removable, if desired, so as to permit access to the interior of said tubular member. A thrust bearing assembly, generally designated by the numeral 27, is provided in the vicinity of the other end of the tubular member 22.

In this particular embodiment, a cylindrical shell extension member 28 is secured to the outer surface 24 of the tubular member 22 and extends axially rightwardly from the right end of the tubular member 22. It is recognized that the tubular member 22 could, if desired, be extended rightwardly so that the need for a separate extension member 28 would be eliminated.

An annular flange member 29 is secured to the rod 11 adjacent the rightward end of the extension member 28 and extends radially outwardly from said rod to a theoretical circle spaced slightly radially inwardly from the inner surface 31 of the extension member 28.

The thrust bearing assembly 27 in the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1 comprises three ring-shaped magnets 32, 33 and 34. Annular magnet 32 is secured to the rod 11 at a point adjacent the rightward end of the annular bearing 16. The magnet 34 is secured to the rod 11 on the leftward side of the flange 29 and axially spaced from the magnet 32. The magnet 33 is secured to the inner surface 23 of the tubular member 22 adjacent the right end thereof and is positioned between the magnets 32 and 34.

In the case of each of the magnets 32, 33 and 34, their magnetic poles are disposed on their axial surfaces. The disposition of the poles is such that adjacent of such poles repel each other thereby tending to maintain the magnet 33 in spaced relation with respect to the adjacent magnets 32 and 34. The disposition of the poles of said magnets 3 32, 33 and 34 is indicated by the letters N and S shown in FIGURE 1 and representing the north and south poles of such magnet, respectively.

Operation Although the operation of the device embodying the invention has been indicated somewhat above, said operation will be described in detail hereinbelow to assure a more complete understanding of the invention. It will be noted that the improved guide roll can operate without the necessity of using a grease or liquid lubricant therein. In this way, the risk of contaminating the filamentor thread 36 with such a lubricant is avoided and, by the same token, any resistanceto high speed rotation which the viscosity of such grease or lubricant might impose, is also avoided.

A thread or filament 36 is in engagement with the outer surface 24 of the tubular member 22 and lengthwise movement of the thread or filament 36 imparts a rotary motion to the tubular member 22. It will be seen that the very light axial loads which might be imposed on the tubular member 22, when acting as a guide or idler for conducting the filament or thread 36, will be effectively met by the above-described magnetic thrust bearing assembly 27. The spaced relations between the moving parts disposed upon the tubular member 22 and the parts engaged with the stationary rod 11, permit a substantially friction-free movement of the tubular member 22 and avoid the creation of a static electrical charge on the tubular member 22.

The rotation of the tubular member 22 about the rod 11 causes in a known manner a film of air to be interposed between the circumferential periphery of the bearing sections 17 and 18 and the internal surface 23 of the tube 22, said film serving both as a lubricant and as means spacing the member 22 from the bearing sections 17 and 18. It will also be seen that not only are such rotations substantially frictionless, but any tendency to create a charge of static electricity upon the external surface of the tubular member 22, by reason of the contact which would otherwise exist between the bearing 16 and the tubular member 22, will be eliminated by reason of spacing between the bearing 16 and the tubular member 22. Hence, at such a speed, the movement of the tube will produce a minimum accumulation of static electricity on the thread.

Modified construction A modified guide roll A shown in FIGURE 2 illustrates a guide roll having thrust bearing assemblies 37 and 38 at both ends of the tubular member 22A. The guide roll 10A comprises a fixed rod 11A which may be mounted in the same manner as described hereinabove with respect to FIGURE 1. The rod 11A is provided with air bearing means of any desired type and which here comprises a cylindrical shell bearing 16A preferably identical to the bearing 16 illustrated in FIGURE 1. An annular flange member 29A is secured to the rod 11A adjacent the rightward end of the extension member 28A and extends radially outwardly from said rod to a theoretical circle spaced slightly inwardly from the inner surface 39 of the extension member 28A.

In this particular embodiment, as in the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1, a cylindrical shell extension member 28A is secured to the outer surface 24A of the tubular member 22A and extends axially rightwardly from the right end of the tubular member 22A. It is recognized, however, as discussed hereinabove with respect to FIGURE 1, that the tubular member 22A could, if desired, be extended rightwardly so that the need for the extension member 28A would be eliminated.

A cap 26A is frictionally engaged with the left end of the tubular member 22A in the same manner as is disclosed hereinabove with respect to cap 26. The cap 26A is, however, cup shaped having a base 41 and an axially extending cylindrical shell wall portion 42. The outer surface 43 of the cylindrical shell wall portion 42 is frictionaly engaged with the inner surface 23A of the tubular member 22A and is rotatable therewith.

The thrust bearing assemblies 37 and 38 comprise two pairs of ring-shaped magnets 46, 47 and 48, 49, said pairs of ring-shaped magnets being placed at opposite ends of the tubular member 22A. More particularly, magnets 46 and 47 are placed at the left end of the tubular member 22A, with magnet 46 secured through the cap member 26A to the tubular member 22A and rotatable therewith. Magnet 47 is secured to the left end of the rod 11A adjacent the left end of the bearing 16A, is axially spaced from magnet 46 and is stationary with respect thereto. Magnet 48 is secured to the fixed rod 11Aat a point adjacent the rightward end of the annular bearing 16A. The magnet 49 is secured to the inner surface 23A of the tubular member 22A adjacent the right end thereof. The magnet 49 is axially spaced from the magnet 48 and is rotatable with respect thereto.

In the case of each of the pairs of magnets 46, 47 and 48, 49 their magnetic poles are disposed on their axial surfaces. The disposition of the poles is such that the adjacent poles repel each other thereby tending to maintain the magnets 47 and 48 in spaced relation with respect to the adjacent magnets 46 and 49. The disposition of the poles of the magnets 46, 47 and 48, 49 is indicated by the letters N and S shown in FIGURE 2 and representing the north and south poles of such magnets respectively.

Although particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed above for illustrative purposes, it will be understood that variations or modifications thereof which lie within the scope of the appended claims are fully contemplated.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A textile guide roll adapted to guide a filament, the combination comprising:

a shaft being provided with air bearing means journalled thereto; tubular means having an inner and outer surface and spaced radially outwardly from said air bearing means and rotatable with respect to said shaft, said tubular means having an open end and a closed end;

flange means adjacent said open end and projecting radially outwardly from said shaft to a theoretical circle spaced slightly radially inwardly from said inner surface of said tubular means;

magnetic thrust bearing means at at least one end there'- of in said tubular means.

2. A textile guide roll defined in claim 1 wherein said magnetic thrust bearings are provided at both ends of said tubular means.

3. A textile guide roll as defined in claim 1, wherein said tubular means includes an extension member extending axially from one end thereof; and

wherein said flange means is spaced radially inwardly from the inner surface of said extension member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,756,115 7/1956 Michel 308-9 2,928,960 3/1960 Macks 308-9 XR 3,221,389 12/1965 Cowell 291 16 BILLY J. WILHITE, Primary Examiner. 

